Principal Technologist - AI and Data Center Networking

Principal Technologist - AI & Data Center Networking

WFH - (travel to customers)

Drive Nets is a leader in high-scale networking software for AI infrastructure and service providers. The company pioneered a disaggregated networking architecture that transforms the economics of large-scale networks while maximizing performance, utilization, and operational efficiency. Drive Nets-powered networks are deployed by global leaders, including AT&T and Comcast, supporting more than 30% of total U.S. internet traffic. Drive Nets AI Fabric delivers full-stack networking for AI infrastructures, providing the highest-performance, Ethernet-based alternative to Infini Band.

The solution is deployed by hyperscalers, Neo Clouds, and enterprises worldwide. With over $1B raised, Drive Nets continues to push the boundaries of modern networking infrastructure.

Drive Nets is seeking a Principal Technologist to be a senior technical leader within our Pre-Sales organization. Join a dynamic and forward-thinking company at the forefront of network transformation. We leverage advanced technologies to develop innovative solutions that drive efficiency, scalability, and exceptional network performance. Collaborate with the industry's best as we partner with hyperscalers, emerging Neo Clouds, and enterprises building AI/HPC GPU fabrics, shaping the future of GPU Ethernet interconnect.

Our environment fosters creativity, teamwork, and growth, and offers you the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on multi-million-dollar customer engagements.

As a Principal Technologist, you will serve as the senior technical authority in complex pre-sales cycles for AI networking and data center infrastructure. You will lead solution architecture and design for Drive Nets' most strategic opportunities globally - working independently or alongside Solutions Architects and Sales teams to translate customer business challenges into scalable, differentiated technical solutions. You will engage at the C-level and VP level with hyperscalers, Neo Clouds, service providers, and large enterprises, and will serve as a thought leader and enabler both internally and externally.

• Own the technical architecture for Drive Nets' most complex and high-value customer opportunities - spanning AI/HPC GPU fabric design and large-scale data center network infrastructure.
• Partner with Sales and Solutions Architects from early discovery through deal closure, establishing Drive Nets as the technically superior choice for customers building next-generation AI networking infrastructure.
• Lead proof-of-concept design and execution - defining success criteria, driving benchmarking plans, and ensuring results are communicated with the rigor and clarity that wins technical confidence at the customer.
• Engage directly with engineering leads, network architects, and C-level stakeholders at hyperscalers, Neo Clouds, and large enterprises - building relationships that outlast any single deal.
• Serve as a product feedback engine - capturing deep field insights from customer engagements and translating them into concrete requirements for Drive Nets' Product Management and Engineering teams.
• Define and publish architecture playbooks, reference designs, and best practices that scale Drive Nets' technical go-to-market across the Solutions Architect and Solutions Engineer community.
• Lead and mentor Solutions Architects and Solutions Engineers, raising the overall technical bar of the pre-sales organization.
• Represent Drive Nets at industry events, author white papers and technical blogs, and build Drive Nets' external technical brand in the AI networking space.

• 12+ years of experience in data center networking architecture and design, with at least 3 of those years focused on AI/HPC infrastructure or hyperscale environments.
• Extensive hands-on depth in large-scale switching and routing - BGP, EVPN/VXLAN, QoS, lossless Ethernet (PFC, ECN), and network automation (NETCONF, YANG, REST APIs).
• Proven track record in senior pre-sales, solutions architecture or system architecture roles, including direct experience influencing large, complex deals with VP and C-level stakeholders.
• Experience with virtualization technologies at the x86 level - including DPDK, SR-IOV, and SmartNICs/DPUs - and their role in accelerating network I/O and offloading data plane functions in AI and data center environments.
• Experience leading technical responses to RFP/RFQs and owning…